LETTER FROM THE "EDITOR"
WELCOME BACK TO MAMA OF INVENTION. THIS YEAR IS ALL ABOUT DOING BETTER AND BEING BETTER...TO OURSELVES AND EACH OTHER. I'M NO HIPPIE SO DON'T FEAR I'M GOING DOWN THAT ROAD, THOUGH IT MAY SEEM LIKE IT AT TIMES. OUR FORMAT IS GOING TO CHANGE A BIT, WE WILL STILL HAVE SOME OF OUR SAME MONTHLY FEATURES BUT WE ARE GETTING RID OF SOME OF THE OLD ONES AND ADDING NEW ONES...I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
COZI CENTRAL
A calendar/list/journal site for families that can be customized to fit your actual needs? Yes, there is one out there. It does come with preloaded features but you can edit, add or delete anything you want and assign everyone or everything their own color. Upload it to your Yahoo page, Windows Live or your desktop using Google Gadgets so it's always at your finertips...even on your mobile phone. You can also sync to your other calendars and even public calendars (like your rec center or school) and send copies of the calendar to specific people via text or email. Use the List feature to create grocery lists, packing lists, shopping list, whatever and email them to yourself before you head to the market. There is a family journal feature so you can keep notes on any ole thing you're all up to and upload pictures, even share it with others. www.cozicentral.cozi.com
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BOOK OF THE MONTH
BREEDER: REAL LIFE STORIES FROM THE NEW GENERATION OF MOTHERS
I tend to reread books I really love and this month, I reread Breeder (Seal Press), edited by Ariel Gore and Bee Lavender. It's a collection of essays written by "alternative" mothers. Stories of pregnancy, dealing with teething, in-laws, divorce and all the great and scary stuff involved with being a parent. I almost enjoy the bios of the contributors as much as the essays themselves. It's inspiring to read about women raising kids and working jobs but still finding time to write. Then there are the mothers that choose to work at home, a choice I am making these days. It's just a great book.
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PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
SAMSUNG RECLAIM SMARTPHONE
The Samsung Reclaim is an eco-freindly smartphone that is both good looking and gets the job done. It is the first mobile phone in the U.S. built using materials extracted from corn and is 100% biodegradable. These materials make up 40% of the phone’s casing. It has a slide out qwerty keypad, a 2.0 M camera, 3G web access and takes care of all of your messaging needs. It has good reviews on both it's battery life and it's keyboard, but does not have MP3 capabilities. This is more of a business phone then an entertainment phone and is a great eco-friendly alternative to everything else out there. http://www.samsung.com/
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BEAUTY
Just because you sit in front of your computer at home all day doesn't mean you can't look polished and awake. Physician's Formula has some great products including an organic mascara. I am in love with Hemp Organics Tinted Lipbalm in "Kiss". Burt's Bees is still the standby/go-to for organic beauty, try their Radiance Day Cream for a brighter more alive complexion. All of these products are available online and at drugstores nationwide.
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FASHION
Even when you work from home, you may come across some times when you need to meet with clients or other companies. These items are affordable, work with the other items in your closet and will make you look like you know what you're talking about. The tee and blazer are from Old Navy, the pants are from the Gap. The bag is from Fossil and it will hold your Sephora lipstick while the Bobbi Brown compact will keep you in picture perfect shape. The shoes make a statement with the chunky necklace and the lipstick color adds a pop.
You can match the tee and even the blazer with your jeans for everyday. The heels are perfect for a sexy night out (or in). The pants will look great with a sweater, a cardigan or a button down top as well. The tote can be used any day, any time. And in the end, who doesn't get a boost from a little red lipstick once in a while?!?
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DIY CRAFTY PROJECT
So I am a makeup NUT!!! I mean it, I will actually save up money to buy that new product I am craving and before I even really use it I will be on to the next product. Recently, I had someone living in my home that couldn't/wouldn't keep her hands off of my makeup and "ruined" several of my favorite lipsticks. So, I finally got the time to dink around and fix them. The first project was a liptint that was a little too dark that was broken and smeared. I had a liptint that was used up to the edge of the tube that was a little too pink and one that was a little too sheer (also worn down to the nub). I decided to make a new color for myself.
I love love love liptints for everyday but I have really pink lips that affect color weird so I often have to mix and match color on my lips and then carry a bunch of tubes...hopefully this makes a color I like.
Supplies I am using - (I'm using stuff I already had sitting around but feel free to buy new supplies)
Small round plastic pill-holder (screw on lid)
The liptints listed above
A microwave
A paint spatula
Instructions -
Using the spatula, scrape out all the lipstick you can and put in the pill-holder. Microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, until liquidy but not bubbly. Use the spatula to mix colors completely and sit on the counter to set. About 10 minutes later, boom, lipstick.
(sorry I look so grumpy in the picture, I'm not sure what is up with the tense neck)
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GOING GREEN ONE MONTH AT A TIME
MONTH ONE-JANUARY
Give up plastic bags for good. Don't waste your money on cheap bags from local stores, invest the few extra bucks in a nice set of shopping bags that will last you years. They won't break or rip as fast and you can wash them to keep them nice. You can go the extra mile and get organic bags, or you can get fold up bags that fit in their own little bags. Check out http://www.reusablebags.com/ for tons of great and ultra affordable styles (they also sell bags to replace your baggies in your lunch and bento style lunch boxes!).
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MENU PLANNER
It's tough to remember to eat sometimes when you're working your butt off at home and taking care of the house and the people in it. Here are a weeks worth of mostly high protein (energy) snacks to get you through the afternoon slump and into the dinner rush. All can be made totally vegan. (Most vegan food chains make 100 cal. snacks now along with the larger companies)-Cereal with soy milk (cereal in the afternoon just feels good)
-Celery with peanut butter (an oldy but a goody)
-Pistachios (a fist full!)
-Wheat Thins 100 calorie pack with Light Ranch Dip (for a salty tooth)
-Pepperridge Farms Oatmeal Raisin 100 Calorie Pack and a glass of Milk (for those with a sweet tooth)
-Tuna salad with light mayo on Crackers (use tofu and fake mayo if you want)
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FEATURES
5 TIPS FOR ACTUALLY WORKING AT HOME
5 TIPS FOR ACTUALLY WORKING AT HOME
Working from home is a dream for so many moms and dads right now. With the economy being a bit on the unstable side and job security almost non-existant the idea of being in control of your own business sounds like the way to go. The true caveat is that working from home isn't really the sitting in your bathrobe all day, typing on the computer for a few uninterrupted hours then lounging with the kids. It really, really just isn't like that at all. There are ways you can streamline your systems, cover all your bases and succeed.
Here are 5 of them:
1. Set up a designated area for your office.
If your children are old enough to mind themselves, put your office in a location that is away from your family like the basement or a spare bedroom. If your kids are younger, put your office in a central location that is still defined from the rest, like a corner of the living room with your desk facing away from the activity. Train your kids to know that this is YOUR area, not for homework, lunch or art time!!!!
2. Find a kid free time of day to work.
If your kids sleep late, get up before them. If your kids are early risers, work after their bedtime. If they take long naps or go to school, work during those hours. At least plan your most important phone calls or video conferences for those times if you can so you don't have the sound of screaming kids in the background.
3. Set up a calendar, make a daily checklist and schedule...then stick to it!
Whether you are a ludite at heart and work better with a wall calendar, a paper planner or even a mini pocket calendar or you prefer an online calendar you must pick one and use it. Everyday. Without fail. I use Windows Live Calendar because it was the easiest to sync up to my various emails and networking sites (like facebook and myspace). It also allows me to create a "space" where I can invite friends, write a blog, share photos, but mostly network even more. My favorite feature however is that it lets you run multiple calendars with color coding, repeating tasks and tons of other features...all free.
I am a little bad at doing my To-Do list items in a timely manner so I also have a desktop To-Do List from Google Gadgets and use it to remind myself everytime I look at my computer. Yahoo! also features a good calendar as well as Gmail (actually, Gmail has my favorite Task List, it crosses out items without removing them so you get that sense of accomplishment).
4. Use online features to keep you focused and alive.
Do you spend hour after hour staring at your computer screen and making phone calls? Do you run after a toddler with a phone in one hand and a laundry basket in the other? Do you make lunch for your kids but forget to eat yourself? There are fun little tools out there to remind you to do the things you need to do in order to take care of your family and your business. I use one that is a timer to track how long it really takes me to complete a task so I can work on streamlining (or know how much to charge), one that makes a running water sound every 15 minutes to remind me to drink my water and one that is an at-desk yoga instructor.
Google Gadgets is a good place to start. If you use My Yahoo!, there are apps that you can load onto your homepage that will count your calories, track your weight, follow the weather, upload your favorite blogs, whatever.
5. Work with your family, not in spite of it.
Take note of your families' schedule and rythmns. Do your kids get home from school in need of attention and a snack at 3 everyday? Don't schedule an important meeting for that time...actually, you should make that a scheduled break instead. If your toddler gets fussy everyday at 10 am, make that a break time too. If your kid can't go longer then 45 minutes without needing you for something, break up your tasks into smaller "bite size" pieces.
Alternatively, can your family help you? Are your kids old enough for you to deligate chores to like laundry and vacuming? Then do it! Is your partner a good cook or doesn't mind doing dishes? Let him/her!! Can you have your older kid hangout with your younger one for an hour so you can handle your important phone calls? What are doing reading this then....Go make that call!!!
(MOST IMPORTANTLY, DON'T FORGET THAT ONE LOAD OF LAUNDRY CAN WAIT, THE DINNER DISHES CAN WAIT BUT YOUR KIDS AND YOUR BUSINESS CAN'T. PICK YOUR BATTLES)
AMY D - WORK AT HOME MOM AND KICK ASS CHICK
When I met AmyD, aka Amy Dalrymple, at her shop on E. Arcadia, she had just dropped off her intern after running errands all day. She was an adorable wisp of pink in a hand altered tee, funky socks, pink high top converse and one of her signature skirts. Immediately she was light and fun and as apt to drop the f-bomb as I am. As she helped me maneuver my daughter and her unwieldy stroller into the tiny storefront she chatted about her kids, one of whom was starting high school that day. She also checked her mail and pulled items for a client she was meeting later. The epitome of a multi-tasking mommy.Amy is a local Columbus designer that is gaining some national recognition right now online and in print. She is most known for her circle skirts and aprons. The aprons are her own patterns and have features like beer pockets. Her skirts are made from both new and re-purposed fabrics (like t-shirts). Her skirts are universally flattering with knee to mid-calf lengths and elastic waistbands. Other items like her Ohio coffee sleeves, felt pins, capes, t-shirt jackets and dresses made from tees and used fabrics are all comfy, cute and beautifully made.
Her items can be found online at www.madebyamyd.com , on etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=1145 and at Wholly Craft (3171 N. High Street). If you go to her shop and it appears to be empty, don't freak out, she has moved. She was offered a spot at the Kickstart at 913 N. High Street and has been there as of September 5th. Amy is very excited about the move. The location is better, she loves the staff and it is open more then she is able to open her own personal shop.
I asked her about her start and it began as a child growing up around her mother and grandmother, whom she describes as MacGyver crafters. She learned to sew in 8th grade home ec. and despite getting a D in the class, it ignited a lifelong love of making the things floating around in her head a reality. Made by Amy D was officially born when friend Shannon (of the Lucky Ladle) offered her a bunch of vintage estate sale jewelry. Amy made her a thank-you apron and that turned into a $100 apron order as well as new business. Her inspirations include other diy-ers, Cyndi Lauper and just the weird stuff in her head. Her biggest push is the desire to create what isn't readily out there.
Not to confuse you, working from home isn't lounging around, sewing while watching t.v. all day. She gets up at 5:30 am weekdays to prepare her kids' lunches and get them off to school. The rest of the day is spent in her sewing room, meeting with clients for custom orders, going to her shop if needed and working out 3 times a week. Amy says her husband "indulges her obsession" (and that he's sooo cute!). Her ultimate goal is to get to the point where she can hire a staff to sew her creations for her. Sounds reasonable. She doesn't want to hire a bunch of whoevers to work in a shop though. She wants to train single moms and dads and parents that want to stay home with their kids to make her designs, set them up with a sewing machine and pay them a good wage. Amy would like other parents to get to do what she is doing, stay home with her kids while keeping the electric on. How much do you love her?
My favorite question to ask everyone (because I'm obsessed with fashion, makeup and skincare), "What are your top 5 can't live without items?"
1. John Frieda Anti-Frizz serum
2. Mixology Mineral powder and blush
3. Mary Kay Waterproof Mascara (she discovered it while on the hunt for the perfect waterproof mascara for her wedding, being a self-professed cryer. She says it passes the Schindler's List test)
4. Flamestitch brand purse
5. AmyD skirt (she really does wear one almost everyday)
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